Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-28

Mcclellan and Lee had each fixed on june
&c as a day for attacking the other. Nc
Clellan meant to storm Richmond and take it
by assault. Lee intended to attack Mcclellan
and raise the siege of Richmond But Nc
Clellan was behind Lee i'll moving. and
the Confederates got in their attack
first. Then Mcclellan dismissed his plan of
taking Richmond for the time, and made
preparations for a secure retreat to the James,
which was now III possession of the Federals
from its mouth nearly to the Confederate
capital
The first battle Of the seven days fighting
was that of Mechanicsville, June %. A
slight skirrnish had taken place June p
Porters corps was stationed around and 70
the east of Machanicsyille Near here was
Beaver Dam creek. with Ellison's Mill upon
it. McCall's Pennsylvanians were stationed
on the rising ground near Ellison's Mill, com
manding the creek. To the right. left and
rear of Mccall were Gems Reynolds, Martin
dale, Griffin, Meade and Seymour, with their
commands. The troops were ranged half
moon shape on Beaver Dam creek Mechan-
icsville bridge crossed the Chickahominy.
Stonewall jackson and bis men were to be
in the rear of Mechanicsville on the morning
of the 26th, Branch's Confederate brigade
was to cross the Chiciahominy up near Rich
mond, move rapidly down the river road and
clear Meadow bridge of its Union guard, and
then strike eastward, join Stonewall jackson,
and make an attack OIL the Federal rear east
of Mechancsvile. Meadow bridge crossed
the Chickahominy north of the one at
Mechanicsville.
As soon as Meadow bridge was cleared of
Federals. A ?. Hill was to cross it rapidly,
push still further south and then take the
road to Mechanicsville That movement
would leave the Mechanicsville bridge clear.
Longstreet and D. Fl. Hill were to cross it,
march hastily OIL and join the attacking
column. Thus &cClellan's army on the north
bank of the Chickaholniny would be involved
front and rear, and could be cut to pieces.
But for the first time in his life Stonewall
jackson was late The two Hills and Long
street carried out their part of the pro.
gramme, attacking the Federal front as il
faced south on the Chiekahominy. Their
work was with the Federal left, Jackson's
with the right.
A. P. Hills advance had driven the Union
pickets back to the main line ut Ellison's
Mill There was time enough for the Federals
to form in battle line. Hill and Longstreet
advanced i'll the teeth of tremendous fire OF
musketry and artillery from the heights
around Eilison's Mill. The firing came from
Gen. Seymour, who held the left. The Con
federates had hoped TO turn the Union flank
and cut the left to pieces. In the midst OF
deadly fire they were hurled back, and the
movement failed, and so the battle of Me
chanicsville ended. 1t had lasted from
o'clock in the afternoon till g. McCalls men
were in the bloodiest of the contest. The Con
federates lost between 5000 and 1900, the
Federals about 400
Next morning Mcclellan resolved to retreat
south and take upa position on the James. He
found for certain that Jackson was in his vicin
ity with large force, and had only been de
tanned by some Federal skirmishers at Tolo
potomy creek, north of Mechanicsville.
Here some military critics declare Mcclellan
made another mistake The Confederates had
left Richmond protected only by g, 600 mer
--Huger's and Magruder's divisions--on the
9th. After the Federal victory at Mechanics
vile if Mcclellan had unexpectedly and Wig
orously attacked Richmond, he could have
cut Lees army in two Magruder, indeed, ex
pected it. He wrote in his report: 81 passed
the night without sleep. Had Mcclellan
massed his whole force in column, and ad
vanced it against any point our line of bat
tie, as was done at Austerlitz under similar
circumstances by the greatest captain of any
age, > the occupation of our work,
about Richmond, and consequently the city
might have been his reward"
But Mcclellan did not do it. He began t.
retreat to the James
The second battle of the seven days fight
ing was that at Gaines Mill, or Cold Harbor
June 81.
Mcclellan made ready for his right wing
to cross the cbickahominy. During the nigh